table of contents
- Thyme (thymus)
- Spice thyme
- Ornamental thyme
- frequently asked Questions
Thyme is a popular herb. Since many thyme varieties are hardy, they can be planted out in the garden. There they exude the typical smell of thymia and form beautiful carpets of flowers. Read here when and in what colors the thyme blossoms can be seen.
In a nutshell
- Thyme needs a sunny spot
- Carpets of flowers from white to purple
- not all thyme are suitable for use in the kitchen
- Ornamental thyme as decorative plants
Thyme (thymus)
To the genus of the thyme belong a good 200 kinds, which by innumerable sorts can be added. The greatest variety of thyme species can be found in the Mediterranean region. The individual flowers of thymus are only a few millimeters in size, but together the thyme flowers form a luminous carpet of flowers. The color of the sea of flowers, which attracts numerous bees, ranges from white to purple.
Note: Thyme can also be used during flowering harvested will. The flowers are edible.
The growth of the thymus is usually upholstery, carpet or pillow-like. The ideal
Location for the ground cover it is full sun. Optimal soil properties are:- dry
- well permeable
- low in humus and nutrients
- pH value between 7 and 8 (neutral to slightly alkaline)
Spice thyme
The following types of thyme are often used in the preparation of dishes because of their tasty aroma.
| Thyme type | Flower color | Heyday | Height | sorts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Broad-leaved thyme (Thymus pulegioides) |
pink to red (depending on type) |
July to August | up to 30 centimeters | "Aureus" and "Foxely" (light pink thyme flowers) "E.B. Anderson "(light purple) |
|
Real thyme (Thymus vulgaris) |
white to purple (depending on type) |
May until October | up to 40 centimeters | "Compactus" (light purple, July to September, up to 10 centimeters) "German Winter" (purple, June to July) "Fleur Provencale" (white, June to August) "Tabor" (dark pink, May to June) |
|
Ginger thyme (Thymus hybrid "Ginger") |
soft pink | June to July | up to 20 centimeters | |
|
Yoke thyme (Thymus zygis) |
White | May to June | up to 30 centimeters | |
|
Cascade Thyme (Thymus longicaulis ssp. odoratus) |
light purple pink | April to May | up to 15 centimeters | |
|
Corsican thyme (Thymus herba-barona) |
light to dark pink | July to September | up to 20 centimeters | |
|
Mastic thyme (Thymus mastichina) |
White | May to June | up to 30 centimeters | |
|
Orange thyme (Thymus vulgaris var. fragrantissimus) |
pink | July to September | up to 30 centimeters | "Orange Spice" |
|
Orosped thyme (Thymus orospedanus) |
white to pale pink | July to August | up to 30 centimeters | |
|
Sand thyme (Thymus serpyllum) |
white to purple | June to August | up to 10 centimeters | "Albus" (white) "Atropurpureus", "Creeping Red" and "Purple Beauty" (purple) "Coccineus" (lilac red) "Elfin" (pink) "Magic Carpet" (carmine pink) |
|
Lumpy thyme (Thymus comosus) |
light purple to purple | July to September | up to 10 centimeters | "Doone Valley" (light purple flowers, variegated leaves) |
|
Steppe thyme (Thymus pannonicus) |
purple-pink to light red | July to August | up to 20 centimeters | |
|
Lemon-caraway-thyme (Thymus herba-barona var. citrodora) |
pink | July to September | up to 20 centimeters | |
|
Lemon Thyme (Thymus x citriodorus) |
pink to light purple | July to August | up to 15 centimeters | "Bertram Anderson Gold" (pink) "Cascata Lemonade" (lemonade thyme) "Lemon" and "Golden Dwarf" (light purple) "Silver Queen" (light pink) "Lemon Variegated", "Rasta" and "Villa Nove" (lilac pink) |
Tip: The mastic thyme is extremely sensitive to moisture. It is therefore recommended to overwinter the herb indoors.
Ornamental thyme
The following thyme varieties are mainly bred for their ornamental value.
| Thyme type | Flower color | Heyday | Height | sorts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Early flowering thyme (Thymus praecox) |
white to purple (depending on type) |
May to August (depending on type) |
under 10 centimeters | Albiflorus (white thyme flowers, May to June) Minor (purple pink, June to July) Red Carpet (pink, June to July) |
|
Island thyme (Thymus richardii) |
light pink | May to June | up to 25 centimeters | Peter Davis (light pink) |
|
Cushion thyme (Thymus cherlerioides) |
light pink to purple | June to August | up to 20 centimeters | Scented pillow (light pink) |
|
Silvery stone thyme (Thymus neideffii) |
pink | June to August | up to 10 centimeters | |
|
Woolly thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus) |
pink to purple | May to June | up to 5 centimeters |
Note: Due to their low (early-flowering thyme and silvery stone thyme) or bitter (cushion thyme) aroma, these types of thyme are rarely used in the kitchen.
frequently asked Questions
Yes, varieties like “coconut”, “rose fragrance” or “bergamot” are edible, even during flowering between June and July. You can use “rose scent” as a substitute for rose water. “Coconut” goes very well with Asian dishes.
Thyme also bloom in pots or flower boxes. As in the garden, they also need a sunny spot on the balcony or terrace.
Most of the flowers are fragrant, but the leaves usually give off the typical thyme odor. The intensity of the scent varies from variety to variety. Therefore, when buying, you should smell the selected variety from a little distance from other thyme.
